BETA READ
Date: 9th October 3852 A.C.E.
Myst burst into the alehouse, clutching onto the door to keep himself upright. He took a couple of steps inside before his legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground.
Al saw Myst collapse and rushed over to help him into a chair. “What happened?” he asked.
“It-it was bad. They had us outnumbered,” replied Myst.
“Did you two stop them from getting the shipment? Where is Luca?”
“The shipment is safe. But they killed Luca! One of the Shifters ripped his throat out!”
“Oh, that’s not good to hear at all… he was a good kid. What about Shadow, was he there?”
“He was. He turned up at the very end and… and saved my life.”
“Shadow saved your life. Why?”
“I don’t know. It all happened so fast. He appeared out of nowhere and took down one of them before leaving another one catatonic.”
“How many of them were killed?”
“I think two. The two Shifters and one of the others fled after Shadow arrived.”
“And what happened to Shadow?”
“He disappeared as quickly as he arrived… h-has it been this bad before?”
“Not like this…,” said Al. “Not like this.”
A man flung the alehouse door open. “Al!” he shouted. “We need to talk. Right now!”
“Give me one second!” Al growled back. He motioned to Nessa, who had been straightening up the last of the furniture, “Nessa, take Myst upstairs to his room. Get him cleaned up and a hot meal before he rests.”
Nessa nodded, making her way over to Al and Myst. Nessa leaned in close to Al and he whispered something in her ear that Myst wasn’t able to hear. She slowly helped Myst up the stairs and back to his room while Al and the mystery man headed to the back room.
Nessa pulled a cloth from a bucket of water and gently wiped the blood away from the cuts on Myst’s arms. “You took quite a beating out there. Luckily for you, the cuts don’t look too deep. They should heal in no time at all. I would suggest using something other than your body when defending yourself next time though,” she said, showing off a small smirk from behind the black strands of hair that had fallen across her face.
“I’ll try better next time,” winced Myst as Nessa dabbed at one of his cuts. “I came out better off than Luca… I still can’t get the image of him being ripped apart by that Shifter out of my head.”
“Is that the first time you’ve seen someone killed by a Shifter?”
“Yes… I’ve seen my fair share of death. But never that gruesome. Is it always like that?”
“It is. Once they transform, their animalistic instinct takes over from their Flaresai side.”
“What is the worst that you’ve seen?”
“I once saw a man have all of his limbs ripped apart. It happened right downstairs… only a month after Al took me in.”
“How old were you?”
“I was fourteen. Al took me in after my parents disappeared. It’s been eight years now… seems like a lifetime ago,” said Nessa. Her hand lingered on Myst’s arm as she thought. “You’re all bandaged up now. I’ll go grab something from the kitchen and bring it up.”
Nessa arrived back with a couple of bowls of stew and some ale. She sat and chatted with Myst as they ate together. She told him stories of the sights she had seen in the alehouse during her years of singing there.
“Enough about me though,” she said. “How did you manage to survive today?”
“I have no idea. I guess I got lucky,” said Myst. “One of the men had beaten me onto the ground and I thought I was gone for. But then a shield appeared around my arm as he swung at me.”
“Appeared?”
“I-I felt this power surge through me and when I opened my eyes… it was there.”
“That must be your power… The myths say that the emerald eye of the gods gave them the ability of creation. But there was never any detail about what that ability could do. Are you able to show me your power now?”
“It’s only ever happened a couple of times before. I’ve never been able to control it though… it’s only happened whenever I’ve been in trouble.”
“Hopefully you can learn before getting yourself into another situation like that.”
“I hope so. I don’t know where to start though… How do you control yours?”
“It’s not as much about control as it is letting your instinct take over. Listening to that, knowing your body has taken over from your mind… How did you get away in the end?”
“Shadow turned up. It was the closest I had ever seen him. There was nothing they could do to stop him. Everything was so dark… Nothing slowed him down. He took one man’s hand clean off. Left another helpless on the ground screaming like a mother who had just lost her child.”
“And he left you?”
“I don’t know why, but he did. He never even took notice of me. I felt hopeless. I could barely get to my feet after he left. Two chances in the space of two days and I let both of them slip away from me…”
“You’ll get another chance,” said Nessa, placing her hand on Myst’s arm for a moment before picking up her tankard. “But you’re going to need to learn how to use the power you have so you aren’t left defenceless next time you see him.”
The conversation trailed off as they finished their stew.
“I better head downstairs now. Al will be wanting me to take over from the other bard soon,” said Nessa, finishing the last of her ale. “You should rest now, Myst. Sleep until the morning to help heal those wounds,” she said, with a gleaming glance at Myst before she turned away. “Good night.”
“Good night, Nessa. Thank you for patching me up.”
Date: 10th October 3852 A.C.E.
The sound of his room’s door swinging open woke Myst up. He opened his eyes and saw Al standing in the doorway.
“Good. You’re awake,” said Al. “We’re going to get some more information about this Shadow guy.”
“O-okay. Give me a minute to get my things together,” Myst replied, sitting up and wiping the sleep out of his eyes.
“Quickly! It’s best to do this before the city gets too busy.”
Myst followed Al down the street, struggling to keep pace with him. The streets were still quiet, with only a handful of people setting up their shops for the day ahead.
“Where are we going?” asked Myst.
“We’re going to see a Seer,” replied Al. “I know one on the other side of town.”
“A Seer? That can see the future?”
“Yes, in part. Their golden eyes allow them to see into both the past and future.”
“What do we need him to see?”
“I’m not sure yet. We’ll find out just how much he can help when we get there.”
“Is there anything else Seers can do?”
“Some Seers also manage to travel through time. Not many try that anymore.”
“Why is that?”
“Because they don’t usually come back. The reasons are beyond me, but it’s something along the lines of returning to the timeline that is set for them. There has been a handful that managed to return. Mainly the ones that didn’t change anything. But there have been a couple throughout our history that have returned with information and technology that did not exist yet. All of them were working for the Enlightened though. That’s how they advanced their cities even faster than they could have by even their great wits.”
“Do most Seers work for the Enlightened?”
“Only the greedy ones that like the look of money. They work for other powerful rulers too. Most live in the mountains or secluded parts of the world. Some have made a home for themselves in towns and cities, making a living by giving out looks into a person’s past or future.”
“And you can trust this Seer isn’t working for the Enlightened?”
“I can, yes. He’s been very helpful to me in the past.”
“How far away is this place?” asked Myst
“It won’t take us much longer to get there. We’re almost to the portal house to get us to that side of town.”
“Portal house?”
“We’re here! You’ll find out inside.” Al led Myst into a small hut that sat on the edge of a marketplace.
A short man, with a wide smile, greeted Al and Myst as they entered the portal house.
“Welcome,” he said. “Where would you like to go today?”
“To the north-western entrance,” said Al.
“Standard payment terms apply.”
Al handed the man twenty coins from his pocket. “That should take care of a two-way trip for us both.”
“Settled.” The man turned around and with a bright flash of white against the wall, a portal appeared in front of him. “Step right in.”
Myst was speechless. He squinted to get a better look at the portal. He could see the inside of another house, along with a man who looked similar to the one who they had been speaking with but looked to be a couple of years younger.
“Come on,” said Al stepping into the portal without a second thought.
Myst hesitated but the smile on the short man’s face reassured him that it was safe to follow. He stepped through to the other side.
“How do you feel?” asked Al.
“A-a little lightheaded.”
“You’ll get used to it. That feeling should be gone by the time we make it to the Seer’s hut. It’s not far now.”
Myst followed Al as he led them to the Seer’s hut.
“How did they create those portals?” asked Myst.
“They’re teleporters. Their kind is all over the place. They make it quick and easy to get around. Whether it’s across town, or even to a different city. They can take you almost anywhere. As long as the price is right.”
“What colour were his eyes?”
“Teleporter’s eyes are the colour of pearls. They’re quite difficult to spot at a glance. But they’re almost blinding when they open a portal… Right, we’re here now.”
Al knocked on the door to the Seer’s hut and an old scraggly man slowly opened the door. “Welcome, Al… and Myst. I’ve been expecting you,” said the old man. “My name is Irden.”
“Hello again, Irden,” said Al.
“It’s good to see you again. Please come in,” Irden opened the door wide. “What is it you seek this time?”
“We need to know anything you can tell us about a man called Shadow.”
“Is it your fate that I should be looking at? Or our new friend here?” Irden said as he made eye contact with Myst. “Curious. I now see why you brought him with you. Why do you seek the man they call Shadow?”
“I’ve been following Shadow for near on two years now. I’m seeking revenge for my family,” said Myst.
“I see. So, it’s you whose fate I will be reading then. Here, sit down.” Irden gestured to one of the chairs around a small fireplace. “I’ll make us some tea before we begin”
“Oh no, that’s alright. I’m okay without,” said Myst.
“I insist. The herbs help ease the process. Gives for better readings.”
“Okay, thank you,” Myst said as he sat down.
Irden handed a freshly brewed cup of tea to Myst.
“Now drink up,” said Irden. “We’ll get to the reading once you’ve finished. In the meantime, what would you like to know about Shadow? Are we looking into the past or future?”
“The future,” Al said before Myst could reply. “I want you to tell us what prophecies will come to pass.”
“Very well. Myst, what is a recent memory you have related to Shadow.”
Myst, sipping his tea, again recalled what had happened with Shadow the day before.
“Okay, I’m getting a lock on how your fates are intertwined,” said Irden. “Now is the time to ask what you would like to know.”
Al quickly asked, “Will Shadow kill any of the Dark Trinity?”
Irden’s golden eyes began to glow as he entered a trance. “Shadow will be present at a trinity of deaths… Only one will come at his hand. The rest at the hands of others… The rule of three will end,” he said, his voice echoing.
Al sat motionless in his chair. Pondering the meaning of the prophecy.
“You may ask one more question,” said Irden.
Myst took the opportunity to ask the only thing on his mind, “What will happen when I catch Shadow?”
Irden’s voice echoed again, “What was two will become one. But only once struggle has made way for acceptance… Wars will be waged. Cities burned… Those thought to be long dead will rule again… A new age will begin.”
Myst sat in silence, considering Irden’s prophecy. What does it all mean? he thought. How can my search for Shadow cause such a ripple in the world?
Irden broke out of his trance. “I hope the prophecies were enlightening for you both.”
“Very!” said Al, throwing fifty coins on the table. “I assume this covers payment and then some.”
“That’s very generous. Is there anything else you were needing?”
“That will be all. We’ll be on our way now. You’ve left us with plenty to ponder over.”
“Very well,” Irden said as he stood up from his chair. “If you need anything else, you know where to find me.”
“Thank you, Irden. You’ve been helpful as always,” said Al.
“Thanks,” said Myst. “It was great to meet you.”
“And you too, Myst,” said Irden. “You’re welcome back anytime.”
